Face-protector.



Patented Mar. Il, Km2.v

M'. LONGDEN, FACE PBDTEGTOB. 'Application tiled NovfM, 1901.)

(No Mndel.)

INVENTOH Y Jfa/:y lo'zydem s yHV A TTOHNE YS ma' Noam cfns' co.. Pwdmlwo.. WASHINGTON, h, cy

- therein.

MARY LONGDEN, OF YATES CENTER,

KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO N. ANDREW FULLER, OF HASTINGS, MICHIGAN.

FACE- PROTECT@ R.

SPECIFICATQN forming part of V:Letters Patent No. 695,403, dated March 11, 1902'.

Application liled November 14, 1901. Serial No. 82,242. (No model.)

To all whom if may concern:

Be itknown that I, MARY LONGDEN, a citizen of the United States, re'siding at Yates Center, in the county of Woodson and State of Kansas, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Face Protectors or Masks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvementin protectors or masks for the human face for the use of firemen, miners, employees in factories, and other persons whosecalling or business is such that they are at times in danger of inhaling poisonous gases, smoke, or foul air and dust.

The invention is embodied in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view illustrating the application of the protector or mask to a persons face and head. Fig. 2 is a'plan view of the bodyof the protector. Fig. Sisacrosssection of the nose portion of the protector. Fig. 4 is a cross-section through'the reticulated holder for the sponge or air-filtering material. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

The body Aof the mask (see Fig. 2) is formed of a piece of waterproof cloth, the same having the central portion cut out at a and being provided with lateral extensions or straps d and top extensions or straps o2, which serve as means for fasteningr the protector to a persons head. The reticulated holder B for sponge or other air-filtering material is formed of woven wire in two concaveconvex parts or sections b, (see Fig. 4,) the same being spaced apart at all points save their edges, which are sewed to the edge of the body portion A, around the opening or The convexity of the sponge-receptacle B accommodates the nose of the wearer and affords a considerable air-space in front of-his mouth. The filling C, placed and held between the two'parts or sections b of the holder B, is in practice saturated with water. or in case of necessity with some disinfecting liquid, and when the mask or protector is applied tothe face and head,as shown in Fig.l,no

air can be inhaled save what is drawn through 5o the saturated lling O. To insure the exclu-V sion'of thesurrounding air at all other points, I'p'rovide the' body portion A with a strip of rubberD, (see Fig. 5,) which is secured to the edge of said body in any suitable man# ner, and when the protector is applied, as shown in Fig. l, such strip lies adjacent to and in close contact with the face and throat of the wearer. I furtherfprovide the body A with an attachment for the nose portion which 6o is of peculiar service. The same consists of a strip of thin flexible metal E; preferably such as is non-corrosive or coated with noncorrosive material. The metal piece E is secured in the nose-covering portion of the body 6 5 y A, and it is apparent that the same may be easily shaped to conform to thenoses of dif-- ferent wearers; it having such thickness and rigidity as required to adapt it to retain in use any shapewhich maybe given to it. Thus 7o the mask orrprotector is held in close contact with the nose Aand the adjacent portions of the cheeks, so as to perfectly exclude the air at those points. The piece E may be secured vby stitching orin any other preferred manner. It'will` be noted in Fig. 2 that each of the lateral and topstraps a and a2 is provided with buttons a4 and that the corresponding straps are provided with loops a5. The latter are formed of elastic material, preferably 8o rubber cord, and Iwhen the mask is applied,

as in Fig. l, theloops d5 are stretched and extended as maybe required forattaching them to any one of the buttons a4. By this means the mask is held tightly and securely on heads and faces differing in size.

It will be seen that the convexity of the sponge-holder B affords an airreservoir sur-v rounding or in front of the nose and mouth of thewearenwhereby breathing is considerably 9o facilitated.

The mask is easily and quickly applied and affords perfect protection in the cases mentioned.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The improved face protector or mask, come said opening, and sponge filling held therein, as shown and described.

MARY LONGDEN.

prising a body of 'flexible material having a central opening and above the same :L nosest-rap provided with a flexible piece of metal which is adapted to conform closely to the nose l l of the wearer and retain in use the shape thus I X'Vtncsses:

imparted to it, and the reticulated coucavo- NV. E. HOGUELAND, convex pieces of Wire-netting covering the M. E. PAYNE. 

